News of: Sunday, 1st of June, 2008

Front Page

Only 10 upazilas and one city corporation saw increase in the number of voters in fresh electoral roll with photographs while the others recorded staggering decrease compared to the number of voters in the 2006 list.

Over 200 people including 33 district and upazila level top leaders of Awami League, BNP and their front organisations, municipality and union parishad chairmen and transport leaders were arrested as of yesterday during a sudden crackdown by the joint forces starting Friday midnight.

Detained former prime minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday told her lawyers that the decision taken by her party's grassroots leaders as well as the central working committee on political dialogue with the caretaker government is final.

The demands for the release of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia are being seriously considered for the success of the ongoing dialogue between the government and political parties, said Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday.

President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Annisul Huq has cautioned the nation of another 1/11 if the ongoing dialogue with political parties fails due to non-participation by the major parties.

US ambassador James Moriarty yesterday said the government and political parties must come to an agreement to hold talks to avoid disappointing the people of the country and the international community.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Col (retd) Oli Ahmed has urged the two detained former premiers to allow their parties to join the ongoing government-sponsored dialogue and the upcoming elections for the sake of democracy.

US President George Bush has offered renewed backing to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf saying he looked forward to continuing to work with him along with leaders of the newly elected government who are seeking his ouster.

A drug to prevent bone loss during breast cancer treatment also substantially cut the risk that the cancer would return, results that left doctors excited about a possible new way to fight the disease.

Editorial

NEWS from the railways sector, as a front-page report in yesterday's issue of this newspaper makes clear, is not encouraging. More than 2,000 kilometres of the 2,835 km railways network are in a dilapidated shape. Add to that the 675 level crossings which have increased the risks to railway travel in the country. And then come the poor and often inefficient handling of the signalling system that only add to the sense of gloom about the railways in Bangladesh. Besides, there are the reports of the casualties arising out of railway accidents or plainly hazardous use of railway tracks by individuals.

THE incident in which a private medical college student was beaten fatally by some students at SM Hall to which the former succumbed has been both disgraceful and appalling. It speaks of the moral degradation of a section of students who lose their calm at the slightest pretext and take the law in their own hands. We are not ready to hear whether the young student of Bangladesh Medical College was guilty of stealing a cell phone from the room where he was staying overnight as the guest of a friend. All we want to know is what right the students of that particular dormitory had to beat the life out of that young man. Moreover, different reports point at elements of mystery in the way the young man was accused and how the execution took place. What was expected of the hall students was to hand over the alleged offender to the police with evidence, if any. But instead of doing that, they acted on their own and brutally like no one with student identity is expected to do. The tragedy makes us wonder whether the price of a cell phone is more than that of a human life!

WHEN a piece of good news is yearned for in the nation, at the time of difficult economic and political situation, the news that Bangladesh ranks first among the states in the region in the ranking of peaceful nations in 2008, bears a special significance for all of us.

I do not want to belittle the Bhartiya Janata Party's victory in the Karnataka state election, which has given it a foothold in the South for the first time since independence. My contention is that every such success lessens the space for secularism in India. When the chips are down, the BJP represents Hindutva and all that goes with it. The Congress may be opportunist in outlook, dynastic in attitude and authoritarian in approach, its ethos is secular. It represents pluralism, which was also the characteristic of the freedom struggle.

THE Daily Star's May 24 editorial on “Water pollution” came as a delightful coincidence right when the authors of this article were sharing ideas about the dyspeptic river pollution, public health, and economic well being of the people of Bangladesh.

Sports

Aftab Ahmed is unlikely to play the upcoming tri-series and Asia Cup as the aggressive middle-order batsman suffered a finger injury during practice at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

An inspired Chennai Super Kings shrugged off the underdogs' tag with a comprehensive display to thrash Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets and join Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League final. Punjab's batting had been in superb form through most of the tournament, but they came completely unstuck in the face of some accurate and relentless seam bowling by Chennai's three fast bowlers, folding for a paltry 112 in Mumbai last night.

Two moments encapsulated the Rajasthan Royals' overwhelming superiority in this semifinal. Yusuf Pathan had already clubbed Glenn McGrath for a straight four off the first ball of the penultimate over and, when he decided to throttle back for the final delivery, Pathan's response was telling. Picking the slower ball early, he smeared it flat over midwicket with the sort of violence that used to leave George Foreman's opponents with autopsied faces.

Nineteen years of international cricket may have taken a toll on his body but Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday made it clear that he has no immediate plans of quitting the game, saying he definitely has cricket left in him.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is close to being named the new boss of Inter Milan according to Italian press reports following the release of pictures of the Portuguese coach meeting with Inter president Massimo Moratti in Paris.

Arsenal's Croatian striker Eduardo Da Silva, who suffered a horrific leg break earlier this year, said doctors had given him the all-clear to return to action in August, Croatian sports daily Sportske Novosti reported on Friday.

Only last year Shane Watson was willing to go to any lengths for a remedy to the recurring hamstring injuries that had curtailed his blossoming career. His frustration was so extreme that he was even thinking of getting cow's blood injected into his hamstrings to make them stronger.

The government will take action if it finds any malpractice in awarding companies with the Tk542 crore network expansion project of state-run mobile phone operator TeleTalk, said telecoms ministry in-charge Brig Gen (retd) MA Malek yesterday.

Oil prices last week sank further from record heights above 135 dollars a barrel as concerns eased over tight supplies, high demand and as the dollar recovered. Metals slumped in oil's wake, traders said.

Primary and Mass Education Adviser Rasheda K Choudhury yesterday said a non-government organisation (NGO) has been given permission to supervise all primary schools in 20 upazilas across the country through a pilot programme for improving the standard of primary education.

Tobacco will kill more than five million people, mostly youths, globally this year superceding the death tolls from tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria, according a report of The Union, a France-based charity.

Taking a swipe at the Awami League and BNP leaders for demanding release of Hasina and Khaleda, Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said they want return of unhealthy politics and misrule in the country.

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday called on the party leaders and workers to strengthen the party, saying that the party would be well organised with the dedicated and honest leaders who would not deviate from principles.

The Bogra Swasthoseba Hospital under the Health Care Development Project of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (DAB) opened in Bogra yesterday with a view to bringing the health care services to the doorsteps of the people in the northern region, says a press release.

Leaders of district Workers Party in their first district extended committee meeting yesterday demanded the trial of war criminals as they were involved in killing, loot, rape, arson during the Liberation War in 1971.

Letters

Bangladesh has surged into the era of research. Research has been going on in various NGOs which are doing research on a regular basis as part of their projects. Another group of researchers comprises students engaged in research needed for their thesis for various academic programmes. The question is: Who regulates all this research which is going on haphazardly, the majority of which involves human subjects. After completion of this research some of the findings are not even disseminated for the benefit of the masses. Many organisations prefer to publish the research findings selectively so as to maintain a politically correct image. The question is: is this ethically correct?

There was a news report in The Daily Star about the CU students who staged destructive protests over the death of a fellow student who was crushed under the wheels of the university shuttle train after he attempted to jump from a foot over-bridge on to the roof of the moving train. His jump turned into a nightmare as he failed to maintain balance and fell through the gap between two compartments. In reaction to his premature death, the students barricaded the station and torched its furniture, railway office, police rooms and train compartments. The students demanded Tk 30 lakh compensation to the family of the ill-fated student, removal of the VC and exemplary punishment for the “guilty” railway employees.

a) The leaders of the AL are only concerned about Hasina. They are unable to work to protect the interests of the millions of Bangladeshis without their leader Hasina. The AL fought to create Bangladesh, and in 1971, we all fought even in the absence of our leader Bangabhandhu. Through the years, the AL must have created many leaders with true vision and wisdom to run the country.

Once again, I am left shaking my head in disbelief as The Daily Star publishes the claim of the nation's leaders that Bangladesh is a country of religious harmony when, bless it, it does not hesitate boldly to inform its readers again and again to the contrary!

It was sometime towards the end of 1968. I was a student of Dhaka University. Once I was walking along the road near Hotel Sheraton. To my surprise, I found hundreds of school children were lining on both sides of the airport road. At some places young girls and ladies wearing colourful sarees were practising some kind of dancing with the national flags in their hands. They were waiting to give a civic reception to General Ayub Khan-the then President of Pakistan. I felt so sad.

It is now an open secret that the Executive Chief of the Pakistani daily 'Frontier Post' has been made victim of an engineered and cooked up case. Thanks to the apex court of the country-- Supreme Court of Pakistan-- which converted his death penalty into life imprisonment. Otherwise, everything is possible in this country of ours!!!

In the upcoming general elections the educated, honest and the reputed politicians must seek nominations from the recognised, registered and revered political parties and after holding of free, fair and credible elections, the majority will form the popular government as treasury members in the Jatiyo Sangsad.

Rajib, the talented player, obtained his third GM norm from Bangladesh Chess Championship held recently. Earlier, he got his other two norms one from abroad, another from a grandmaster chess tourney held in Bangladesh. Rajib has joined the elite grandmaster club of Niaz Murshed, Ziaur Rahman, Rifat Bin Sattar and Al Rakib. It is now a matter of time that FIDE (World Chess Federation) makes an official declaration in this regard.

I have read your editorial entitled 'Monga victims to get overseas jobs' and I must salute you for writing on a very important but quite neglected matter. You have just written on a burning issue. The people of 'monga' affected areas are dying slowly and silently. Instead of protesting, they are fighting with dignity, with courage but they are not doing well because they are very simple or even naïve.

Of course anyone following world news would know the name Barrack Obama. He's the one making, or we can say forcing to make headlines by turning the US presidential campaign more and more interesting. He's not just famous. In Israel, around 95% don't wish Obama to be the president. Nevertheless, an Obama win can rather be beneficial, for most, the Americans as well as even us!

In the seventies, the population of our country was around eight crore and now it is almost double. But the land mass has not increased even by an inch. On the contrary, a good part of our arable land has been usurped by human habitation, various industrial developments and also erosion of land by rivers during the monsoon. With the present growth rate of population, any sane person would shudder to think about the situation that shall befall the country after 20/25 years.

I was a student of Ideal School and College. This school is still regarded as the best educational institution of our country due to its strict discipline and academic performance. The teachers of Ideal School are also very qualified and they teach us not only about the educational matters, but also how we can become good human beings.

Two news items published on 19-05-2008 in 'The Ittefaq' and 'The Daily Star' have drawn my attention. First, the caretaker government (CTG) is planning to provide a separate pay scale for the employees of Bangladesh Bank (BB) and the second one is that educationists have emphasised the need for raising the salary of teachers at primary level to ensure quality education by attracting meritorious persons to this profession. It is astonishing to me that the CTG is taking steps to implement the first one ignoring the second. And if it finally happens, a few people will be benefited. But it will obviously create a discrepancy and dissatisfaction among the employees of other government organisations. Because if BB proposed pay scale were implemented, then the salary of third class employees of BB like drivers, telephone operators etc. will be higher than that of a first class cadre service officer ( First class officers' initial salary scale is Tk 6800--13090 and third class BB employees' proposed initial salary scale is Tk 7000--12000). So finding no other option, the employees of other government organisations will also demand a separate pay scale like 'Judiciary employees' pay scale', 'University teachers' pay scale', 'RAB pay scale', 'Administrative cadre service pay scale' and so on. As a result, the aim of the national pay scale will not be attained. But it is a matter of regret that the area the CTG should give much more attention to remains ignored.

I think the present caretaker government will be remembered for its bold steps against corruption, along with the noble effort of cleansing the mess as well as the separation of judiciary from the executive.

North Korea has not been linked to a terrorist attack in more than two decades, but it is still on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. Now, it may be on the verge of its coveted goal of getting removed for reasons having little to do with terrorism.

A UN official yesterday warned against prematurely resettling parts of Myanmar destroyed by a cyclone and human rights groups lashed out at the country's military leaders for evicting storm refugees from relief camps.

Tens of thousands rallied in several cities Friday against a proposed US-Iraqi security agreement, raising doubts that negotiators can meet a July target to finalise a pact to keep US troops in Iraq after the current UN mandate expires.

Plans for provincial elections in Iraq by the fall have already set Sunni Arabs against each other as factions prepare to compete for control of the local governments that will wield considerable power over security and finances.

Indian immigration authorities refused entry to a former Pakistan human rights minister who helped Indians imprisoned in Pakistani jails, including a convicted spy who spent 18 years on death row, officials said yesterday.

Arts & Entertainment

It's hard to concentrate when all you can think of is food. About 59 million children attend school hungry (according to a United Nations World Food Programme publication). Ninety-three percent children at primary schools in poor areas of Bangladesh are malnourished. This does not end here, however. It's a vicious cycle. An estimated 17 million babies born each year are underweight, inheriting hunger from their mothers, who are malnourished as well. The world's poor simply pass on their hunger from generation to generation.

Zahir Hossain Newton's acrylic work seen recently at Gallery Zoom at Alliance Francaise deals with nature. He brings in trees, leaves, grass, cacti and birds. At times he introduces the face or figure of a woman onto the paper. Apart from painting, Newton does woodcarving too, and onto the wood surface he introduces his preoccupation with nature.

When we think of a seven- month- old, the first impression we get is of a playful child who is smiling and playing. But not all are so lucky. Samia Mahjabin Nayantti, a seven- month-old is suffering from Biliary atresia, a rare condition in newborn infants in which the common bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent.

When Honey magazine commissioned photojournalist Michael Ward to follow and photograph an up-and-coming music group called The Beatles in February 1963, he had never heard of the Liverpool-based rock band.

OP-ED

THE year 2007 was the most significant for Bangladesh after our liberation on December 16, 1971. The 35 years of chaos and confusion reached a crescendo towards the end of 2006. Although we have not seen the end of it all yet, we can only pray and hope we don't have to see such ruthless violence in the near future as witnessed in October 2006.

THE late legendary Omar Kureshi used to say that Test cricket is like ballet dancing and ODI is like belly dancing. I wonder how Omar would have described Twenty20 cricket. Rock & Roll, Big Bang, Big Bash, Crazy Cricket. It is anybody's guess. But the unmistakable fact is that T20 has captured the imagination of the spectators and TV viewers. It is absolutely certain T20 is sheer exciting entertainment with inevitable consequences for Test and ODI cricket.

THE Pakistan People's Party (PPP) will soon propose to the Parliament the 18th amendment to the 1973 constitution. The proposed amendment would reportedly abolish Article 58 (2)(b) of the constitution, which empowers the president, in his sole discretion, to dissolve the National Assembly. The amendment would also strengthen Article 6 of the constitution to punish judges who would in future support military coups and constitutional subversions.

Star City

At last the government has taken a concrete step to save the heritage buildings of the capital city by constituting a subcommittee that will make a list of the heritage sites and take necessary actions.